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Malaysian Court Overturns Book Ban on Academic Essays on Muslim Women

By Howard M. Friedman

In Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur High Court today overturned a ban imposed by the Home Ministry in 2008 on the book Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism. According to The Edge, the book, which contains ten academic essays by activists and intellectuals, was published by a Muslim feminist NGO. In its opinion, the court rejected the Home Ministry's claim that the book would disturb public order and confuse Muslim women and those with a shallow knowledge of Islam. The court said: "Some may not agree with what is stated in the book but this is to be expected in an academic text, which this book is. But to conclude that it can create public disorder is something that cannot stand to objective scrutiny."

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 25, 2010 (boomark / email).